It’s the time of the year that many stock show parents dread and struggle to talk about with their kids – the end of the show season.
That’s one of the reasons why 20-year-old Isabelle Doherty decided to write Bye-Bye Buddy, a book about the sensitive subject of saying goodbye to your show animals.
During a literacy class last year at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, she learned what it takes to make a good children’s book. An early childhood and special education major, she says she has always wanted to write a book about this topic because she thinks it could help kids.
“I’m not a writer, and I’m not an illustrator,” Doherty says. “But I knew this was a topic that needed to be talked about and that kids needed something to look at when they’re having to say goodbye to their best friends.”
For Alex Bobell, a 10-year-old show pig exhibitor from Illinois, that’s one of the things she appreciates about the book.
“I love this book!” Bobell says. “It showed me that I am not the only one who gets sad when I have to say good-bye to my pigs at the end of the year. The pictures were also so good.”
Wravenna Bloomberg, a mother of four youth livestock exhibitors from Illinois, was one of the first to read Doherty’s book.
“What a sweet story depicting the bond between show pig and showman,” Bloomberg says. “The amount of time young exhibitors spend with their show animals creates a special relationship with memories far beyond that animal’s show career. I love how this story highlights this, while making it an easy read for young children.”
The Show Pig Journey
Doherty has been showing pigs since she was 3 years old. Her book explores the journey of the show pig project, including all of her own illustrations.
“The process of writing this book was difficult because I had to teach myself everything,” she says. “I couldn’t have done it without my parents and my family. I did not show them the book until it was finished, though. I wanted it to be something special and get the reaction when it was done and when it was printed.”
Her parents have served as her inspiration throughout her show career and the development of this book, Doherty points out.
“The show pig industry has been my life,” she says. “Now, it’s not every piece of my life, because there’s a bigger world out there. But what we take from this industry can help us impact that bigger world.”
Although she isn’t pursuing an agriculture-related degree, she believes the foundation she’s developed in agriculture will impact all of the children she meets in her future classrooms.
“I can’t wait to spread the love from this industry and what it has taught me to my future students,” Doherty says.
Of all the lessons she’s learned in the show ring, she hopes the industry will remember that the youth show industry is not about the breeders, feeders or fitters.
“This is about the kids,” she says. “We need to stay on track to that by placing value on showmanship and the contests, too. It is not about the place you get in class. That’s what’s so important about this industry and what it has taught me.”
